Judge approves settlement in lawsuit over US detention of Iraqi nationals

A judge approved a settlement Wednesday in a 2017 lawsuit that challenged the detention of Iraqi nationals who were targeted for deportation during the Trump administration.

The agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, sets strict conditions for future detentions before any proposed removals, the American Civil Liberties Union said.

Too often, immigrants are locked up for months or years for absolutely no reason other than they want what so many of us have already: the chance to build a life in America. The settlement will make it easier for them to do that," ACLU attorney Miriam Aukerman said.

An email seeking comment from ICE was not immediately answered.

The lawsuit involved about 1,400 people, many of whom had been allowed to stay in the US for years, holding jobs and raising families, because Iraq had no interest in taking them back.

That suddenly changed in 2017 when Iraq's position apparently shifted. ICE arrested people around the US, especially in